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I had a large, hearty Chinese dinner at the Cantonese Soup Kitchen last night but I think my beverage deserves its own entry (also, there was so much food – haven’t had time to process the photos yet ). Aside from herbal soups and other authentic Chinese fare, Cantonese Soup Kitchen has an extensive menu of home-brewed herbal teas. I’ve been cultivating an appreciation for teas, and I was pretty bummed to find out that none of the teas I wanted to try were available. Sensing my disappointment, the waiter suggested that I get their floral bloom tea instead. I’ve heard about floral bloom teas on the internet – it’s basically a small, unassuming teabag that blossoms into a flower as soon as you add hot water. I immediately said yes – I’ve been dying to try it out, and I never thought it’d be available in the Philippines.

After adding hot water, the tea bag floated up to the surface. I thought it would start blooming right then and there, but it would take about three more minutes for the flower to appear.

It sank to the bottom of the glass and started to unravel.

Out of nowhere, the little ball burst open to reveal a red flower rising from a bed of yellow chrysanthemum petals. I wish I had taken a photo at the moment it blossomed because it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen; there were all these bubbles and petals rising to the surface, and then they all cleared to reveal this lovely red flower.

Another closeup of my floral bloom tea. I didn’t think that such an unattractive ball could hide something so pretty in it! And yes, even though it looks more like an exotic aquatic pet than a beverage, you can drink the tea. It has a very mild, tea-like flavor with a subtle floral aroma.

According to the owner of Cantonese Soup Kitchen, he got the idea of serving floral bloom tea from Tea and Therapy at Serendra, where a pot costs P250. At Canton Soup Kitchen, a pot (or a glass) of floral bloom tea only costs P59! Well, taking a cab all the way to Banawe Street will cost you about P200 but you can also enjoy a wide range of Chinese food at the restaurant along with your tea. I told the owner that if the restaurant had floral tea bags for sale, I would have bought a bunch to enjoy at home. He told me that the Cantonese Soup Kitchen will be selling their best-selling teas in convenient take-home packages soon. Yay!

Expect my recap of the dinner in a few days.

Far, but I’m telling you, it’s worth a visit!

Tags: canton soup kitchen, chinese food, tea